The Brightest Moon
by ChaRose
Summary: The Sound of the monitor flatlining and a voice saying "There's nothing more you can do for her." were sounds Hatori never wanted to hear as a Doctor. He had PROMISED her everything would be alright. And then he failed her. When Hatori loses a patient, he feels the loss far greater than he did with Kana. And this time Shigure won't let him suffer alone. Cousin Fluff.
1. Code Blue

**Author note: I have no experience nor much knowledge in the medical field. I have tried to be as accurate as possible. If any of its inaccurate, just pretend it's accurate XD**

 **Disclaimer: Hatori belongs to the Author of Fruits Basket. Mizuki belongs to me~**

 **Reviews are very much appreciated ^.^**

 **~ Telley xo**

It had been quite a dull day at the hospital that the Sohma Family financed the majority of it; Hatori constantly dedicated most of his time to when he was not at the Sohma Estate fulfilling his duties as the family Sohma Physician. It wasn't until he was paged with an emergency that things took a more eventful turn.

Hatori had been sitting at his desk, in his office, completing paperwork that he had been meaning to catch up on, when he was interrupted by a nurse who had paged him "Doctor Sohma, Code "

Code Blue meant 'Medical Emergency' which they must have brought the patient through the Emergency Room.

Hatori ran out of his office, careful not to bump into the female nurses as he sprinted down to the Emergency Room. Upon entering, he already saw a young girl, she was no older than 8, lying on the gurney. He frowned as he quickly assessed her injuries. Her skin was almost grey, she was panting from not breathing properly had lost a lot of blood for someone her age.

The girls eyes blinked at Hatori and she whimpered in fear. Hatori looked down at her and his coldness melted away at seeing how much she resembled his younger and most cherished cousin, Kisa. "You're going to be okay." He told her as he placed the oxygen mask over her face to open her airways which would help to breathe easier. He received a nod from her and the fear in her eyes turned to trust. He looked at the nearby nurse, "I'll need a CT Scan from her." He received a confirmation from the nurse and turned back to the young girl on the bed. "My name's Hatori. Can you tell me your name?" All the while, he was keeping an eye on her vital signs on the monitor and looking for symptoms on her body whilst continuously keeping his eye contact with the young girl. He knew better than to become personally attached to his patients. But the moment he spoke to her, the fear in her eyes turned to trust and he hadn't had that happen to him with a patient before. It gave him a strange new sense of confidence.

"Mizuki." The young girl looked up at Hatori. "It means 'Beautiful Moon'" she proudly told him.

"Ah, but the moon is no match for the beauty of yourself." He gave her a small smile and her eyes sparkled. He pressed around her abdomen for any internal damage and when he received a shriek of pain from her, he quickly apologised whilst sprouting orders to his medical staff.

"She's got internal bleeding. Prep her for the OR immediately."

"'Tori?" Mizuki asked, immediately grabbing onto his coat, it was the only thing she could reach.

Hatori turned around and grabbed her hand whilst the medical team began moving them from the Emergency Room to the Theatre Room where Hatori could operate on her.

Small fearful eyes met Hatori's reassuring ones."It's okay Mizuki.I promise we'll make you feel better. Do you trust me?" He looked down as she nodded; determination in her eyes.

"The lovely nurses are going to take you in a new room where you'll breathe into a mask. I'll be there shortly. You'll be put to sleep and I will personally make sure the pain goes away."

"So I'll be okay?" Hatori smiled softly at the young girl.

"I promise you will be okay." He told her, giving her small hand a squeeze of comfort as she was wheeled into the opposite room.

Hatori wasted no time in scrubbing his hands and arms thoroughly as per surgeon should, the CT Scan results were placed up on the board above the sink where Hatori could assess it before he operated on her. The results showed major internal bleeding from 5 various checkpoints. It was easy enough to access, but it meant he had to work fast. "She's asking for you." Interrupted the Nurse, Hatori sighed and gave her a curt nod before finishing and drying his arms from any soapy residue. With his hands outstretched he waited as the nurse placed the gloves on his hand, placed the gown around him and placed the surgical mask over the bottom half of his mouth.

Was this risky for a member of the Zodiac to be working in such conditions where one could easily be stressed and overwhelmed by the amount of patients or bumping into the opposite sex in such a hurried pace? Yes it was risky. But Hatori was born in the medical profession and this came naturally to him. He didn't allow himself to be stressed. He couldn't afford to be stressed; not just for his sake, but for the patient's sake as well. One wrong mistake and it could be life threatening. He took extra care to avoid bumping into the opposite sex at all times.

Walking out the medical bathroom, he went straight into the theatre room where Mizuki was lying on the operating table, her frightened eyes turned to eyes of relief at seeing Hatori arriving. The nurses and other doctors were on standby awaiting Hatori's orders.

"Mizuki? How are you feeling?" he asked her as he pointed to the Anaesthetist and then to Mizuki, silently telling him to get the anaesthesia mask ready for her.

"Better. But I still hurt." Her eyes followed his every movement. This man was the only one who took the time to talk to her and put her fears at ease. She didn't want him to leave her side at all.

"The pain will be over soon." He said as her eyes lifted up to watch the mask being placed over her face and he gently said, "Breathe normally, Mizuki. You'll be asleep soon."

"I...trust you...'Tori..." she mumbled as the anaesthesia began taking affect and making her drowsy, her eyes slowly shut beneath his kind gaze. He never once took his eyes off of her until she was completely under the anaesthesia.

Straightening up, Hatori turned his attention from the young to the Nurse."Scalpel." Hatori ordered the nurse as she handed him the sharp instrument. Pressing the blade of the scalpel against Mizuki's skin to make an incision, he began his work. The one thing that he had become so easily taken to the girl, apart from her almost-near resemblance to Kisa, was how brave she remained during her ordeal. He never once saw her cry. Little did he know just how much trust she truly trusted him.

He was the only person to speak to her like a normal person. The moment she was taken out of the car wreck and onto the stretcher, no had bothered to ask her, her name or how she was feeling. Or that it was going to be okay. They just gave the other person orders and were talking with words she couldn't understand; medical terminology.

It wasn't until she saw a tall man come running in the Emergency Room and look her in the eyes. She saw nothing but kindness in those green eyes as he spoke kindly to her. 'You're going to be okay' were the first words he told her before asking her name. The fear left her when she understood that this man was the one who was going to make sure she would be alright again. She was happy to tell him her name and what it meant. And she felt her heart flutter with the good kind of embarrassment as he told her that she was prettier than her name. She could only imagine how she looked on the gurney with her face all cut and bruised from the collision; and yet this man still thinks she looked pretty. Her newly found happiness made her forget the pain she was in as she focused her attention on her doctor. Hatori, was his name. Between doing his job and ordering his staff around, he still managed to talk to her and remain eye contact with her. He was her doctor and she trusted him.

As he told her she was going to the Operating Room she didn't mind until she was physically in the room and he wasn't there either. She left it for a few minutes but she was getting scared as the nurses began preparing the instruments and a man was sitting behind her head. None of them spoke to her. "Where's 'Tori?" she asked. "He'll be here soon." Came the simple reply. She couldn't pronounce his name properly and so she called him by the shorter version, which happened to be one of his pet nicknames his cousins seem to call him from time to time other than 'Ha'ri'. Machines were being hooked up to her without an explanation and she began to get increasingly scared – especially without Hatori there to tell her what was going on. "'Tori?" she asked again to which one of the Nurses sighed and walked out of the room. Mizuki watched her leave and then stared at the white light above her. She really hoped Hatori would be coming back soon.

She waited in fear until she heard his voice call her name. Her body sighed in relief at hearing him come back to her. Right now, he was all she had. She no longer had a Mother and she had no other family. She could tell by the way the Paramedics were talking that her Mother hadn't made it. She's eight years old, not five. At the time, she was too scared and in pain to properly process the fact that her mother was gone. And then everything happened so fast. One minute she was in a car accident, the next being rushed in an ambulance with sirens blaring. And then she was pulled out of the ambulance and into the back of a Hospital where nurses began bustling around her.

"Her BP's dropping!" the Nurse said as she monitored Mizuki's pulse. Hatori was elbow deep in her stomach trying to locate the last bleeding spot. He had stitched, patched and tied off the five bleeders but she was still bleeding everywhere which meant there was one that was hidden. "Suction." He ordered as the nurse removed the constant pooling blood with the suction instrument. Time was running out and if he didn't find that bleeder and clamp it off, she would be beyond help. Working quickly, he poked and prodded through her organs, carefully lifting and moving to check for any holes. The tension was evident in the room as everyone held a hush silence in watching and waiting for the Doctor to find the last bleeder. The tension was so thick you could almost grab the scalpel and slice through it completely.

And then he found it. "Clamp" he ordered quickly, snatching the instrument out of the nurses hand to clamp down on the hole to prevent it bleeding further. He glanced up at the monitor of the ECG machine that track of her blood pressure and heart rate. It was beating steadily "BEEP. BEEP. BEEP."

But before he could sigh in relief, the unexpected happened. "BEEEEEEEEEEEEP~"

The machine flatlined.

" _No. No. No. No No."_ His mind thought frantically as that soul-crushing sound rang out through the otherwise silent operating room. With the clamp securely in place, he dropped the remaining instruments in the tray next to him and immediately moved to her side where he started CPR on her.

"Get me the Defibrillator ready!"

"But Doctor So-" the Nurse started to protest stating the girl is otherwise dead. There was no need to work extra hard on her when she had no family to go back to. She was now an orphan.

"I said get it ready!" Hatori growled as he continued to administer the CPR pumping manoeuvre.

The Nurse said nothing more as she got back to work, getting the gel and pads ready to place over the girls' chest. She never heard Hatori ever speak like that at all.

He snatched the paddles from the Nurse and placed it over the gelled patches on Mizuki's chest. "Clear!" He stated before pressing down to deliver the electric shock to her chest.

When the machine still flatlined, he handed the paddles back to the nurse as he continued manual CPR before trying again in another 30 seconds.

He held his hands out for the paddles, and the nurse gave them to him.

"Clear!" He said again, only to be met with same results and switched back to the 30-second CPR manoeuvre. _"Come on, Mizuki. Please!" his mind begged for her to come back to him._

Third and final time for the defibrillation technique. Placing the paddles over her chest again, his mind screaming _"Please, please, please, please!"_

"Clear!" Her body jolted under the electric discharge but the machine continued to flatline.

 _No. Not this. Not her._

The sound of the monitor flatlining and a voice belonging to his colleague saying "There's nothing more you can do for her." were sounds Hatori never wanted to hear as a Doctor.

Breathing deeply in the rush of panicked adrenalin, his eyes widened in disbelief at it all. The young child that now lay lifeless on his operating table and him standing beside her, his white scrubs splattered and stained with her blood. Just hours before he had looked her in the eyes and promised her. He PROMISED her he would do everything he could.

But what he did wasn't good enough. He had all the medical expertise in the world and access to all the equipment and medicine, and yet, it still wasn't good enough. He had failed her.

"Doctor Sohma?" but the voice fell on deaf ears.


	2. There is no Code for Grief

**Author note: I have no experience nor much knowledge in the medical field. I have tried to be as accurate as possible. If any of its inaccurate, just pretend it's accurate XD**

 **also, Hatori may seem a little OOC but that's because I haven't personally read the Manga and don't know much about how he grieves. I'm just going off my own personal instinct of how I've RPed him.**

 **Reviews are very much appreciated ^.^**

The sound of the monitor flat-lining and a voice belonging to his colleague saying "There's nothing more you can do for her." were sounds Hatori never wanted to hear as a Doctor.

Breathing deeply in the rush of panicked adrenalin, his eyes widened in disbelief at it all. The young child that now lay lifeless on his operating table and him standing beside her, his white scrubs splattered and stained with her blood. Just hours before he had looked her in the eyes and promised her. He PROMISED her he would do everything he could.

But what he did wasn't good enough. He had all the medical expertise in the world and access to all the equipment and medicine, and yet, it still wasn't good enough. He had failed her.

"Doctor Sohma?" but the voice fell on deaf ears.

It wasn't until his was being physically shaken by a hand on his shoulders that he came back down from his thoughts. "Doctor Sohma. You need to call it."

"Time of death...20:23" he said in an emotionless monotone. He lost patients nearly every day, he was surrounded by death within the hospital, but his patients were usually old and sick. Not young with a life they still need to live.

As the staff bustled around him, placing instruments back to be sterilised, wheeling her body out down to the morgue, Hatori made his way back to the adjourning bathroom where he could de-gown and de-mask himself and wash the blood of his hands. He spent the next fifteen minutes scrubbing her blood away. Sighing, he splashed some water on his face and just stared at the sink for a good solid hour before he switched the tap off and walked away. His empty eyes looked around for his white medical coat, to which he shrugged on and walked out of the room without a second glance.

Every step he took seemed to echo loudly in his mind as he walked to his office. Every second that ticked by seemed like an individual minute. Nurses, Doctors, Patients...every single face became a blur. The general buzzing sound of the busy hospital was nothing more than a distorted noise, as Hatori's body began to shut down to a numb state.

After what seemed like hours but was only a minute or so, he finally reached his office where he can begin completing the report on Mizuki and her death certificate. Raising his hand, he slowly brought it to rest on the door knob to open his office when he stopped centimetres above the doorknob. His hand was visibly shaking from the shock. Withdrawing it and clenching it in a fist, he turned on his heel and walked away, neglecting the routine paperwork altogether as he made a hurriedly pace out of the hospital. Normally one would question him but because he walked to the Emergency Room, it could easily be assumed he was needed there. However, he continued through the Emergency Room and out to the empty car park beside the hospital. He kept walking until he was stopped by the white barrier concrete fence that separated the car park to the backdrop of a park.

Leaning his hands on top of the barrier, he gripped the concrete slab tightly until his knuckles turned a ghostly white colour as he rocked back and forth slightly as he tried to calm his breathing. In...out...in...out... He was breathing. He was alive. Mizuki was no longer breathing. The young girl that captured his heart was no longer alive. Because of him. And that's when it hit him hard like the breath had suddenly escaped his body as though someone had punched the wind out of him.

And then he dropped to his knees.

...

Shigure had finished a meeting with his publishers about his next novel containing high school girls, when he decided to give Hatori a visit, and try and scam a free ride home in the process. Luckily the hospital was only two blocks away and it made for a shorter walk, which was a great comfort because Shigure rarely ever dressed in a suit and the shoes were far too uncomfortable for his liking. _How does Ha'ri never get sore feet in these?_ The dog thought to himself as he placed his hands in his pocket and made his way down the blocks.

Shigure had often visited the hospital whenever a Sohma was emitted there, or just to get a ride of Hatori, most of the time the family doctor was busy with patients. As Shigure waited for the end of his shift, he often sat back and quietly admired his cousin and family doctor. He could never do what Hatori did on a day-to-day basis. He watched as Hatori sprouted multiple orders to the staff, complete paperwork, set up machines and still maintain enough time to do his rounds before he went home. Shigure, on the other hand, would bail under the pressure of knowing someone's life is now in his hands. What a responsibility.

Entering the hospital, Shigure walked up to the administration desk and asked for Hatori Sohma. He winked at the medical receptionist, who recognised him immediately and blushed, "He's in E R" she told him.

"E R?" he asked as he leant against the desk, looking at her through seductive eyes. "May I be a trouble to your beautiful brain and ask what E R stands for?" he asked her through his flirtatious manner.

"Emergency Room." She giggled, blushing furiously at the handsome Sohma before her. "But you can't go in there, Sir!" Shigure pouted cutely at hearing the denial of access. "Awh! But my Cousin's there!"

Of course, he never stated he was referring to the Doctor Cousin.

"Oh! My apologies!" the nurse quickly bowed. She knew the Sohma's were important figures within the hospital staffing but she didn't realise that this one had a family emergency. She let him pass on the prediction that he might be of help to the Emergency staff by providing important details such as name of the emergency patient, any allergies etc.

"Thank you, my blossom!" Shigure winked as he made his way to the Emergency Room. "Doctor Sohma?" he asked. One of the paramedics pointed outside where he had last seen Hatori.

Frowning, Shigure made his way outside to where the paramedic had pointed. Why would Hatori be outside? And then that's when he saw it. A white figure bent down on the floor with one hand supporting his weight against the concrete fence. "Hatori." The dog muttered in concern before making his way over.

Hatori felt a hand on his shoulder, and then weight shift beneath that had as the person crouched down to Hatori's level. "Ha'ri?" Shigure asked, wondering what was wrong with the man. Was he sick? Hatori had his face hidden, which made it hard for Shigure to understand what was going on. Silent tears were streaming down Hatori's face but he never uttered a single sound until he answered Shigure in a broken whisper. "I couldn't...I did everything...and I couldn't!"

Shigure's brows furrowed together. Did he lose a patient? "Hatori?" his gentle voice urged Hatori in question. His hand that was on Hatori's back, gripped him tighter as his other hand came around to rest on his shoulder. It was his gentle touch that Hatori broke under. Shigure could feel the sobs shuddering through his body. "Oh my god. What have I done?" the broken question hung in the air as Shigure pulled Hatori away from the wall so he could embrace his cousin in comfort.

The two now sat where Hatori had his cheek resting on Shigure's shoulder, facing away from him, his hands hand found their way around to Hatori's back and gripped the back of his jacket in his fists, as though the only source of comfort to the doctor would disappear completely – as though he didn't deserve such a kind act on this earth.

Shigure didn't mind when he felt his jacket tightening, knowing it was gripped in the doctor's hands. His arms had come around his broken cousin, "You did everything you could, Hatori."

He felt his jacket slacken from Hatori's grip as the dragon dropped his hands and pulled away from Shigure's embrace. "It wasn't good enough." He muttered in a rather darker manner than intended as he stood up. Shigure frowned to himself before following Hatori's movements and standing up himself, he never once heard Hatori speak so darkly.

"I promised her, 'Gure." The darkened voice dropped back to becoming hoarse and broken. Shigure walked over to Hatori, "Ha'ri?" he asked in question about the situation that had obviously traumatised the doctor. Tears were still falling down his face as he whispered angrily, "I PROMISED her!" his green eyes shot like daggers to Shigure.

Shigure shook his head, and placed a firm hand on Hatori's shoulder, "Hatori. Don't." He knew what the dragon was doing – self blame. He did it with Kana as well, but this time Shigure wasn't going to let Hatori do this to himself again.

Hatori ignored him as he continued speaking through his pain, "I promised her that everything was going to be okay! I promised." Whilst he was speaking, he walked back over to the fence and leant his hands on top of the concrete slab, gripping it tightly where his knuckles soon turned white, much in the same position of when he first came out to get some air. "She trusted me, and I failed her! She trusted me with her life and I couldn't even save her! One more minute, Shigure! Just one more minute!"

It had been a rather complicate surgery. And if there was just an extra minute where Hatori could have found that bleeder, then he was positive Mizuki wouldn't have slipped away under his fingers.

"You did everything you could. You did your best." Shigure tried to comfort the doctor, knowing his words were empty. Hatori let out a sound between a groan and a whimper. He felt sick to his stomach having lost Mizuki. He had promised that everything was going to be okay. And he had broken that promise.

The moment Shigure heard the heartbroken sound come from his cousin, he immediately embraced him. And Hatori found himself in Shigure's arms once again. His arms came around to grip the back of Shigure's jacket as he pressed his face in Shigure's shoulder. Shigure's own arms came around to support Hatori's weight against his own.

And then it was in that moment that the dragon snapped. Forget the dragon breathing fire in rage; it was now the seahorse drowning in the water of its own tears. "I'm so sorry Mizuki! I'm so sorry." Hatori's sobs were muffled against Shigure's shoulders. "...god...!" Each sob shuddered violently through Hatori's body that it concerned Shigure about the doctor transforming under his mental stress. Holding him tightly, Shigure never said a word as Hatori let out the hidden heartache. Like a loyal dog who can sense its owner's pain, Shigure's own heart ached for Hatori. His cousin had lost so much lately; He suffered under the violent hands of Akito, he lost his fiancé to his own hand of memory suppression, and now he had lost a broken promise.

Eventually Hatori had calmed down and pulled away from Shigure. "I'll take you home." Was all the doctor said as he rubbed his face away of any tears and straightened up, placing that mask back on. There was no 'thank you for being here' to Shigure. The dog didn't mind though. He knew his cousin well enough to know that he appreciated the comfort. If he didn't then he wouldn't have broken down in front of Shigure.

Nodding, Shigure quietly walked beside the doctor back to the hospital. He watched as Hatori strode back in with his head held high, as though the breakdown had never happened. _One of the cruel consequences to being a doctor. You have to forget and move forward._ Shigure thought to himself.

Hatori signed off at the administration desk and informed the medical receptionist that he would be completing Mizuki's paperwork at home. He left Shigure there to flirt with the receptionist whilst he gathered Mizuki's paperwork, other forms required and his medical bag and car keys. With that, he locked his office behind him and made his way over to Shigure.

"Good night, Mon Cherie!" Shigure winked, "I'll be seeing you in my dreams. Or maybe you'll see me in yours? Either way, it will be a night we won't forget." Shigure waved goodbye to the receptionist before following Hatori out of the hospital.

"Have you no shame?" Hatori asked, his monotone cold demeanour back in place.

Shigure shrugged, "Not really." He airily stated.

The walk back to the car was a quiet one until both adults were buckled in safely inside the western-style vehicle, and then Shigure broke the silence as Hatori drove out of the car-park. "So tell me about Mizuki?" Hatori's eyes widened briefly in shock and a small gasp emitted from his lips before he could stop it. He quickly covered it up by coldly stating, "You know I can't discuss my patients with you Shigure. Dead or alive." Yes, it stung very, very deeply to say those harsh words. But as a Doctor, he still had patient-doctor confidentiality. He had already breached one protocol tonight, by getting attached to a patient, he couldn't breach another one.

Shigure had other plans. He knew his cousin would live the next few weeks in guilt and self-blame. He had to try and get Hatori to focus on the good in Mizuki and not on his pain of losing her. "Help me understand, Ha'ri." The dog said gently. "Help me understand why you feel this loss more than other patients you've lost in the past."

Hatori took a deep breath as mentally weighed up the pros and cons of telling Shigure. Knowing if he didn't, the dog would only pester him into oblivion. Frowning deeply, Hatori found the strength to talk about her, "She..um..She was eight years old.." he began shakily before clearing his throat and began talking in more firmer tones to stop himself from breaking down again. "She had been in a rather horrific collision. Her mother, the only family she had left, died at the scene. She would have seen her mother dead. She had internal bleeding. And yet, when I first saw her in the hospital, she didn't cry. She had put on a brave face and eventually smiled." Hatori didn't tell him the reason why she had smiled. Although Hatori played a huge part in making her smile, he didn't think it was anything to boast about. "How can an eight year old girl who lost her mother, be in so much mental, emotional and physical pain, still manage to smile?"

Shigure shook his head, unsure of how to best answer Hatori, or whether Hatori was even looking for an answer. "I don't know. Bravery?" Shigure suggested softly.

"She was the bravest girl I've ever met." Hatori murmured.

"Hold onto that thought, Ha'ri. Let that thought be what guides you through your pain." Shigure told him just as Hatori parked the car after pulling up to Shigure's house.

Hatori looked over to Shigure and studied him for a bit. Despite the dogs' constant antic and immaturity, he still had a heart of gold. And tonight, Hatori was truly grateful that the heart of gold belonged to his cousin.

"Stay the night, Hatori. It's late." Shigure offered. If Hatori refused, then he would enforce it upon him to stay the night, just so Shigure could watch over him. He didn't think it was wise to leave the grieving doctor alone.

Shaking his head, Hatori politely declined the offer. "Thank you, but I won't be getting much sleep tonight. I have paperwork to complete."

"Which you can stay up all night doing that here! I won't even bug you. I have paperwork of my own to complete anyway."

Hatori sighed and reluctantly agreed to stay the night. Truth be told, he was quite exhausted from the day's activities and was already starting to get a headache.

Switching the car off, Hatori retrieved the medical reports and forms to complete from the back seat and followed Shigure inside. There had been times where Hatori had stayed a couple nights at Shigures. Mostly to keep an eye on the sick dog or rat. The other time was when he stupidly agreed to go drinking with Ayame and him. He had regretted it the next day.

Sitting around the warmth of the family room, Hatori made himself comfortable whilst Shigure made them some green tea. With his back propped against the wall, a pillow behind him, Hatori got to work on the reports. It took half an hour to complete the surgery report and then another few minutes to do the death certificate. One more form to complete was Mizuki's burial form. The hospital takes it upon themselves to bury the 'unknowns' or those who have no surviving family members, in unmarked graves. The exhaustion finally caught up with Hatori and he changed his position from sitting straight to slouching, where his body soon lowered itself down to a curled up position on the floor, his head resting on the corner of the pillow he had been using as a back brace.

Shigure had watched Hatori work for a little while before turning his own attention at the latest manuscript he had to complete. Sipping his green tea quietly, he gave his work a final check over before feeling satisfied that his editor will enjoy it. He looked up when he heard something shuffle to the floor. Seeing the forms fall from Hatori's grasp, Shigure noticed Hatori had finally gone to sleep. _Poor Ha'ri. So much heartbreak._ Shigure thought to himself as he picked up the forms and took a sneak peak at them.

Mizuki's medical report was full of Medical jargon that Shigure wasn't even going to bother trying to understand. The next was her death certificate with Hatori's signature on it. Shigure didn't even want to think what that must have been like to fill out. Still, at least Hatori didn't have to be responsible for apologising and notifying a relative of Mizuki's death. Placing these files aside, he picked up the last one and scanned over it. It was for Mizuki to be buried in an unmarked grave. Shigure frowned. This didn't feel right. His eyes shifted from the document to Hatori, whom was sleeping peacefully, as though he never carried the heavy weight of the troubles upon his shoulders. His heart had ached for his cousins pain. And now Mizuki was going to have an unhonourable burial.

Shaking that thought aside briefly, Shigure got up quietly and went to the closet where the spare blankets were, and got the thickest one he could find, and draped it over Hatori gently. He didn't want to wake the man who badly needed his sleep, so he left him where he was, but with the extra warmth of the blanket to prevent him from catching a cold.

Whilst Hatori slept, Shigure made some phone calls.

The next morning, Hatori groaned and slowly stretched out his aching muscles. "Hatori! you're up!" a far too cheery voice greeted him. He frowned as everything came rushing back. The loss of Mizuki, the paperwork being completed, falling asleep at Shigure's - on the floor of all places! He looked over to see Shigure holding out breakfast for him. He frowned in question, only to have Shigure answer his unasked question. "Tohru made extra breakfast before her and the boys went to school this morning!"

Hatori slowly sat up and moved toward the table. "Thank you." The doctor quietly said.

"Don't thank me, thank Tohru. She's going to make an excellent housewife one day." Shigure said absentmindedly as he began eating at the delicious meal.

"No, I meant for last night." Hatori quickly corrected him, looking away as he did so. He was partially ashamed for breaking down like he did.

"You know we're always here for you Ha'ri." Shigure softly said, receiving the smallest hint of a smile from the dragon.

Hatori slowly ate breakfast and thanked Shigure once again. He excused himself as he made his leave with the files in place. One loss didn't mean he stopped being a doctor; he still had duties to fulfil both at the Sohma Family Estate and at the hospital.

Hatori's first stop was to drop the files off at the hospital for the administrative team to process and then it was back to the Sohma Estate where life went on as per normal.

Two days had gone passed, and though Mizuki weighed heavily on his mind, Hatori drowned himself in his work to take his mind off it. He was interrupted in the middle of completing some paperwork when the phone rang. "Hatori Sohma." He greeted in his usual cold manner.

"Ah Ha'ri! Are you busy?" came the chipper voice belonging to the dog.

"I'm always busy. What do you want?" he asked, knowing that Shigure was asking for favours.

"Ah well, Tohru has badly sprained her ankle at the Cemetery, visiting her mom you know? And I was wondering if I could meet you there and you could take a look at it for me?"

"I'll be there as soon as I can." Hatori sighed out, knowing there wasn't any way he could wiggle his way out of it. If Tohru was hurt, then his profession as a Doctor came first.

"What's this Hatori? I don't think I've ever heard you so eager to come to Tohru's aid! Could it be you have a secret crush on Tohru?"

"..." Hatori didn't say anything at Shigure's inappropriate statement.

"Ah! I guess right, didn't I!? You naughty, naughty man, you!"

"No I was simply too amazed by your stupidity to say anything." Hatori retorted before hanging up the phone. Sighing, he stood up from his desk and stretched out his aching muscles before abandoning his paperwork altogether to make another house call.

Since he was visiting Tohru at her grave, should he bring flowers out of respect? He tapped his fingers against his keys as he thought about it for a moment. Picking up his medical bag, he walked out of the house and to his car. Perhaps he can make a quick stop to pick some flowers up if the traffic wasn't too bad. After all, it wasn't a life-threatening situation. The clumsy girl had just sprained her ankle. A bandage and a few days rest can fix that.

Pulling out of the Sohma Estate, Hatori made his way down to the florist where he picked up a small bouquet of white roses and continued on towards the cemetery. White roses symbolised purity. Innocence. Hatori thought it was fitting seeing how Tohru's mom raised her to be an innocent young girl.

Pulling into the cemetery, Hatori could see Shigure waiting for him at the gates. He was grateful the dog hadn't showed up in his normal grey robe. Good, at least the dog was presentable in his suit.

Hatori grabbed the bouquet and his medical bag and greeted Shigure, "Shigure."

"Flowers?" the dog asked in confusion.

"I thought it would be disrespectful if I didn't pay my respects whilst I was there."

"Ah. You truly are a gentleman."

"I don't know about that..."

"Why white?"

"Innocence. Purity. Qualities that Tohru's mom would be proud that Tohru still has."

"And Mizuki." Shigure added quietly.

"Shigure...!" Hatori warned in a stern tone. Mizuki was still a tender subject for Hatori and would prefer to leave it be.

"Right. Sorry." The dog quickly apoligised.

Hatori frowned as he looked around the cemetery, trying to spot Tohru's figure. "Where is Tohru?" Hatori's green eyes moved from the cemetery to Shigure.

"Well...Tohru's not here. She's safe at home. There was something I wanted you to see."

Before Hatori could start chastising Shigure about getting up to antics and how disrespectful it was to do so in such a place as a cemetery, they had come to a stop and Shigure pointed down towards the grave in front of them.

A small gasp left Hatori's lips as he bent down to closer study the title on the stone. "How did you...?"

Hatori began to ask but Shigure cut him off by answering, "I made some phone calls. Used your name, of course. That's what you get for lying on my floor with your credentials in reach."

Hatori placed the bouquet of roses on top of the freshly dug up dirt as his hand reached out to trace the words engraved on the stone.

 **Mizuki; the Brightest Moon that shone.**

Shigure bent down next to Hatori and placed a hand on his back.

"I...I can't thank you enough..." Hatori whispered, staring straight at the stone. He knew tears were uncontrollably falling down his cheeks. But he didn't seem to care. They were partially happy tears; knowing Mizuki was put to rest and Hatori could visit her when he felt the need to.

Hatori glanced over at his cousin with grateful eyes. Shigure knelt by Mizuki's grave, next to Hatori and until the Doctor was ready to go home.

"It didn't seem right for one of the bravest people in Japan to not have a proper burial. She rests in honour now." Shigure said softly.

And she did rest in honour. Since that night, the moon shone brighter than ever before.


End file.
